Parents have been left surprised today as Child Benefit payments arrived early.
Child Benefit is paid to parents or guardians raising a child under 16, or someone under 20 in full-time education or training.
Payments are made once a month to parents or weekly to single parents or anyone getting benefits like Income Support.
The eldest or only child gets £21.80 a week and additional children get £14.45.
But confused parents on social media report getting paid less than usual, and receiving payments early.
One said: "Tomorrow I am only being paid £21.80 for my child benefit, I receive the payment 4-weekly. Why is this?"
Another puzzled mum said: "My payment was meant to be today and I’ve not got the full payment?"
But there is a good reason - and it's all to do with the upcoming Jubilee bank holiday weekend .
When Child Benefit payments fall on a bank holiday week, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can transfer the cash early.
HMRC said payments due on May 30 or 31 will be paid early - or part of it.
On Twitter, HMRC said: "If you are a Child Benefit customer, you may get full or partial payments earlier than expected due to the upcoming bank holidays. Customers don’t need to call - everyone will still get their full payment by their expected date."
If you normally get Child Benefit every four weeks, and one is due on May 30, you'll get one week’s worth of payment on May 27 and the remaining three on May 30.
If your payment is due on May 31 you’ll get one week’s worth of payment on May 30 and the rest on May 31.
People who get Child Benefit weekly are also affected.
If your payment is due on May 30, you’ll get it on May 27.
Payments due on May 31 will arrive on May 30.
